Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1887-08-11
THE DEMOCRATIC NORTHWEST THURSDAY, AUGUST H. 1881

sidered ''the Indians Of Indians" as they
were tie most civilized and chiyalrous, as
well as the most war-like. The Iroqnois
tribes were also the bravest and most patriotic
of the Algonquins, faithful to friends, bnt
| terrible to enemies-a savage Spartan band,
destined to become leaders.
Westward of-the HurOBs rOsmed the Dakota n
aud Sioux; southward were the Cherokee, NHtehez
aud Mobilian tribes probably more nearly related
to the then extinct Mound Builders than any other
tribes, for the MoundBuilders had been forced
sOuthward and had perhaps afiilinted with them In
some degree, while the lroquois became masters Of
their whom territory-the best and largest portion
of what ia the Ohio country aud In fact masters
| of the entire Eastern States.
III was this dominant tribe which had carried dis
may by its frequent forays through the Ohio region,
as We have slready Indicated, compelling the weaker
tribes to abandon the valley Of the Ohio, and thus it
has become greatly depopuated at the advent Of the
'Whites''-yulgarly so called. These weaker
brethren, YhQ had been driven out Of the Ohio val.
ley, penetrated the interior and occupied the head,
waters ofthe Miami, Muekngum and Seioto rivers.
at the time OF the arrival OF the first French mis-
sionsries, where they were, in measure FREQ from
incursions. s.a..-..-....
The Iroquois or Five Nations had at this time
| already performed a rudlmentary government or
Federation, and they pretended to have conquered
the whole dpuntrt from sea to sea. They bad In
fact gained the mastery throughout the whole Ohio
valley, and largely between the Ohio and Mississippi
rivers, as we'll as around the Great Lakes by the
year 1850, when the first white adventures appear
ed upon the scene.
The Iroquois Five Nations were the Mohawks,
Oneidas, OnOndagas, Cayugas and SeDecas; subse-
quenty the Tusearoras were added, aud they were
then called the SIX Nations the Turcaroras FAY be-
tween the Oneidas and 0nodagas, and their strong
hold was In central New York State. The Hurons
or Wyandots were then located in the lower Michi-
gan peninsula, around Lake Huron; the Eres or
| Engas,. commonly called Scat Indians" Erie
sgnifying cat) were farther seuhward, at the west
ern end Of Lake Erie and on the adjoining
archipelago of islands. The Andastes were located
| about the headwIters OF the Allegheny river and
| the so called "Neutral Nation" lay between the
Andastes and the Eries on the northern watershed
THERE'S vague tradition among the Delaware
Indians that the ancient tenants Of the Ohio valley
werr driven out by the Hurons or Wyandots, and
that they then descended the Ohio and Mississippi
rivers, to light their council fires in more con-
| genial locality. These may have been the last
remnant Of the Mound Builders, or uch later, the
Shawnees, moro likely. The Shawnees occupied
land far to the south atthe time Of which write.
It was long after, that they Lame north to occupy
the Ohio valley, as we shall show. '-.- 8
Our positive knowledge OF the indian tribes, be-
yond 1850, loses itself In vague conjecture. In
lG49, the Iroquois, after having harassed the
Hurons for several years, drove them down the
Ottawa river, and some Of them as far as Quebeck,
while another portion was compelled to take refuge
among the Chippewas, on and beyond Lake Super
ior and around Sault Sainte Marie. There is every
reason to believe that 1t was the intention OF the
Five Nations Of the Irouuos to subdue disperse or
sssimate aIlthe tribes in the Ohio valley Thus
We fad the upper Ohio river called by the first
French yOyagers "The River of the Iroquois,' and
u was at first discretely slammed by the French =
Nothing ofhistorical Importance Is known Of the
Indian inhabitants of 0hIoprior to 1850, and very
little OF consequence until century later, 30 that
| no great stress OF credence can be placed upon
their fugitive traditions, yet upon the boastful
exploits Of the French invaders, although this was
period rich in romance, tradition and conjecture
the Heroic A go of Indian History. - :
4 During this problemauc period the Eries had
hald fran ya 0hiO soil huE auhdued
soon after the Hurons by the IroquOis, and driven
away from their last stronghold along the lake
which still retains their name. The Erie nation
was finally exterminated by awholesale massacre
| about 1855. NE 81 r.
The confederation of the Iroquois of course ante
dates this time by many years, as they were now at
the summit OF their ingorious career. The Andas-
tes at this time, small branch Of the Algonquin
family, occupied the. upper Ohio and Allegheny
rivers; the Five Nattons conquered them about
1672, and at nearly the same time, the Ohio river
bdng now in possession of the Iroquois they drove
ont from its borders tribe supposed to have been
the Shawnees or Shawaneese, the major portion Of
them at least, compelling them to retreat nearly to
the Gulf of Mexico. In this summary manner was
the beautiful Ohio Valley rendered desolate. De
serted by its former Inhabitants, who had been
either subiugated, exterminated or expelled, II was
now used as avast hunting ground for the victor
ious Five Nations.
1t is not known definitely whether the Miami and
Illinois tribes were also conquered by the Five
Nations, but 1t is probable that the Miami river
After long time various tribes Of Indians began to
vuoupy again the heudwsters of the Scioto and
Muskingum, the Tuscarawas, Cuyahoga and Maui
NEE rivers, evidently coming from the West or
South, but the date Of this second occupation Is still
subectt to debate and must have been gradual and
cautious in execution.
THE ADVENT OF THE FRENCH TRADERS.
As early as 1850, French traders had sought out
these transient tribes, which the Iroqu0is had not
frightened entirely away; but little Of authentic
Importance is known, however, relative to them,
prior to Col. Boquet's expedition in 1854. At that
date the Delawares, or Dinni Lenapes, occupied the
valleys of the Tuscarawas and Muskingum, en-
bracing about onefourth of the present State; the
Shawnees held sway on the Scioto, and the Msmis
on the two rivers which now bear their name-the
Big and Little Miami rivers.
There is no direct evidence that the Iroquois were
successful In forcing themselves permanently be-
yond the shores of the great lakes and the basin Of
the Ohio river. Occasional incursions were made
against the Miamis and the Illinois Indians, west
of the Miamis, but they were mainly unsuccessful,
although bitter and sanguinary. The Miamis had
no tradition of ever having suffered defeat by the
Iroquois, so 1t Is probable the Miami river formed
the western boundary Of the territory conquered by
the Iroquois. After the war with the Canadian
coloniss In 1868, the Iroquois ceased to exercise
their supremacy over the Ohio valley to the ex-
clusion of other tribes and during the next century
1t was again gradually populated by the red men, as
we have shown. ..
In Western New York, the Iroquois, 1.-THE Ro-
mans Of the New World still reign supreme how
ever, controlling the easiest avenness Of approach
for the white men from the east; and it was not
until several years later that the white men dared
intrude. Here are the leading facts: Quebeck was
settled In 1908. In the same year the Iroquois had
their first battle with the French, under Champain,
which resulted In making the Hurons friendly to
him and to all the French. In 1915, Champlain
reached Lake Huron by way of the Ottawa river; re-
turning by way Of the lower portion of Ontario,
north of Lake Erie, he again met the Iroquois in
battle. His allies, the Hurons, wished him to wait
for 800 of the Erie tribe. Accordingly his inter-
prefer Brule, visited them, and he is said to have
Champlain, who, in 1852, made the first map OF the
lakes making Lake Erie, however, merely . wide,
irregular river. Champlain's ideas Of the Lake
were most probably derived from looking at 1t
from the north, perhaps from Long Point, and from
what his interpreter had told him also.
no BIZ CONTINUED.
How to Seek Repose.